Opposites Attract
by NerdyButCool
Summary: Fire Nation and Water Tribe are NOT supposed to be attracted to each other. But they are and there's nothing these two can do about it. Yes, we all know I'm terrible at summaries, but hey, the story's good :
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey guys! So in honor of The Legend Of Korra coming out Saturday, I'm gonna write this story Here's chapter 1! :D **_

My name is Mara. I didn't used to like my name all that much, until my mother told me why I was named Mara. It was after one of her best friends, and, in my opinion, one of the greatest women to ever live.

Her given name was Naomi. She was the leader of the original resistance of the Fire Nation. She was captured and tortured 7 times, but she never gave up, managing to escape 6 times. During her 6th visit to the Boiling Rock, she had to watch her loved ones die in front of her. After her escape, she changed her name to Mara, meaning "bitter". Thus, my full name was Mara-Naomi. So you see, I was doomed to a hard life from the start.

You would think being a kind-hearted fire bender in these times would be hard enough. Nope: I was the Fire Lord's **daughter**. No, not the haughty-looking one standing front and center with the commanding gaze and regal bearing. Look to the right a little. Down some..there. See the blonde girl almost hidden behind the others with the hazel eyes? Yep, that's me. The youngest, almost forgotten daughter of the royal family. Almost.

I almost wish I **had** been completely forgotten about. Then I wouldn't have had to deal with the bullying. Having completely different looks from the rest of my family, many people considered me as being from a different father. But I knew that, however unfortunate the fact may be, I was Ozai's daughter. My mother told me so, and I had also inherited one trait from him:

skill at fire bending.

But of course, no one but my mother noticed when I created **my** first fireball, or mastered **my ** first complicated firebending move (both before even Azula!). I was just the assumed bastardized child of my mother and some manservant. However, most of the people of the Fire Nation liked me, since I was actually **kind** to them and didn't burn their houses down (cough cough. Azula and Zuko. Cough cough).

One good thing about my Fire Nation life, however, were my friends. A few times a week, or whenever I could get away, I would shoot off a green flare, racing into the Capital City's Harbor District to meet them, near where they lived.

Today was no different. After a particularly harsh yelling-at by Azula, I excused my self for a "walk in the garden", and snuck away. I shot up the flare from the tower, and was now waiting for them all to arrive.

One by one, they began to show themselves: Smellerbee, Pipsqueak, Longshot, The Duke, and lastly, my best friend, Jett. (_**A/N: In this story, Jett and the freedom fighters are good guys ) **_ Jett had helped me through some tough times, and was like my older brother. He was the only person at this point and time I could tell ANYTHING to.

"What's up Mara?" he asked, sitting down and completing our circle.

"Azula." I replied. "Apparently I 'cleaned her room wrong'" We laughed.

"Why do you even go through it?" Smellerbee asked.

"Seriously! Just give her a smack in the face with a fireball!" The Duke added. Longshot nodded his consent solemnly. I cracked up.

This is why I loved these guys. Tell them the most depressing thing, and they'll find a way to make it funny.

After hanging out with my friends for the rest of the day, I went home. I sensed instantly something was wrong. The sense of foreboding increased when I saw an invitation to come to the throne room from my father sitting on my bed. I **never **got invitations from my father. For **anything**.

Something was terribly wrong.

_**I hope you guys liked it I'll post Part two of this chapter if I get some reviews ;D Till next time;**_

_**Brianna**_


	2. Chapter 1 Part 2

_**Chapter 1, Part 2**_

_**Ok, so I'm gonna start by answering the reviews from people **_

_**The Tiger's Lonely Song: Thanks! I tried to make Mara a believable character that people could relate to. I know I can relate to her as well**_

_**MegaRomantic: Your wish is my command I already have a bunch of chapters written, I just need computer time to type them all **_

_**Next order of business. Did anyone else see the legend of Korra? I thought it was okay, nothing even close to the original though. All the characters are dead except for Katara, and she's an old lady! I like Mako though (I think that was his name)**_

_**So anyways…here's the chapter :P**_

After reading the invitation, I quickly changed into my formal fire nation gown (.com/cgi/set?id=47655315), had people do my hair, and hurried to the throne room.

"Ahh yes. Mara! You're here!" Uncle Ihro said, giving me a hug. While he hugged me, he whispered "Your father has summoned us all here to show us his 'greatest achievement'. He has captured the avatar." I had to stifle a gasp. The AVATAR? This couldn't be happening. I took my place on the throne on the end. I tried to remain completely expressionless like the rest of my family, but I couldn't contain the sadness in my eyes as the prisoners processed in.

There were three of them. The one in the middle was bald with an arrow tattooed on his head: an air bender. He was obviously the Avatar. I next examined his companions.

I looked first at the girl. She had long, wavy brown hair, tan skin, and bright blue eyes. Obviously from the water tribe. She and the tattooed boy looked at the ground dejectedly.

Lastly, I studied the boy. My heart skipped a beat, and I fought to keep my emotions under control. Once my face was again expressionless, I continued to study him.

His eyes were a lighter blue than the girls, but he looked a lot like her. It was easy to see they were related. His hair was back in a ponytail. However the most interesting thing was the look on his face, and in his eyes. He remained determined; even though it was apparent his friends had given up hope.

My father chuckled. "Why hello there avatar Aang, Katara, Sokka. I figured while you were here I would introduce you to my lovely family. You of course know Azula and Zuko. And this is my wife Ursa, and my brother Ihro." He left it at that. I sighed quietly. How convenient. He forgot me. "What about her?" the boy I assumed was named Sokka asked, looking at me. I smiled a small smile, and was backhanded across the face by Azula for doing so. "Ah…..yes... That's just Mara." My father said. I rolled my eyes and decided, hey, if I got slapped once, might as well go for two. I waved at them and said, "Hello. Nice to meet you all!" Sokka snickered; I looked at him and blushed a little, which made me not see my father's fireball coming until the last minute. It grazed my cheek. I ran out of the room, pretending to go get medical help, but in reality, I hid to hear the cell number, and then ran to my room, where my beloved maid Miki was waiting to heal my burn. "Thank you" I told her as she gently applied a salve. "You are very welcome, Princess Mara."

Miki had been my nursemaid when I was young, and she had helped me whenever she could ever since. She always managed to heal me, however serious the injury.

After my burn had been healed, I changed into my normal, more comfortable fire nation attire (.com/cgi/set?id=47657109) , and snuck down to the prison. On my way, I grabbed some food from the kitchen, and some gold pieces from Azula's money box. I knew I wouldn't be coming back. I quickly found their cell, and opened it with the necklace my mother had given me. I slipped inside as the door closed, and began to untie Katara. But, before I could, I was hit in the head with a rock.

"Who are you?" Sokka yelled. I stood and glared at him.

"I'm Mara, and I'm trying to help you! Would you just calm down!"

"Wait you're doing what? Fire Nation princess, and helping do NOT got together unless the words 'is not' is in between them!" meanwhile, I had untied Aang and Katara.

"Sokka! She really is trying to help!" Aang said, leaping into the air. I laughed and knelt down, beginning to untie Sokka. I talked quietly into his ear as I did so.

"Okay, listen up. I take it you're the sort of leader of this group, so listen carefully. Leave this cell and take a left. Go down that hallway until you see the fire tapestry, and then turn right. Go out the door, and run for your life. I'll try to hold off the guards as long as I can."

"Come with us! You're obviously not like them. You could help us." Sokka offered, but I shook my head.

"You need someone to hold off the guards. But if you ever need help, you know where to find me." I smiled, and shooed them on. As they ran out the door, Sokka looked back at me and said

"Thank you." I blushed.

"Uh...no problem."

Somehow, I managed to deal with all of the guards, and ran out into the city. I found my friends and told them what had happened.

"Sounds to me like we've got ourselves a little resistance fighter here!" Jett said. I frowned.

"Jett, I'm only 14! What am I supposed to do?"

"Start a movement!"

"How?"

"With us!" Smellerbee exclaimed, and excited look on her face. "We can live in the woods! It can hide you and we can sabotage Fire Nation troops!"

"Okay, what do we call ourselves?" I asked. Jett looked at me.

"The Freedom Fighters."

_**So yeah. That's part 2 of Chapter one! The Freedom Fighters have been born!:D **_

_**I'll put up the next chapter as soon as I get some reviews **_

_**Until next time,**_

_**:+: Brianna :+:**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Hey guys! I finally have time to post! Also….I just finished writing. K, so, just like charlieissocoollike (my favorite You Tuber) I value quality over quantity. So I only write when I'm in a creative mood, or else its just not fun for me, and that would be evident in my writing, and I would just stop writing. And you don't want that, do you? I didn't think so So anyways, here's the chapter.**_

_**Next Day: Yeah, at that point, people came over to my house, so I couldn't type this up….haha…so…Anyways, In Chapter One Part Two, I put the links in for the outfits for Mara [the areas where there are things like this: ()]. So if you haven't already, go back and look at those so you know what she looks like ;) **_

_**I do not own the series Avatar: the Last Airbender. If I did, I would be laying on a beach by my mansion with the Gaang. But alas, it is not so ;(**_

_**And now, without (hopefully) any further ado, CHAPTER 2!**_

It's been several months since that day. We've gained hundreds of kids and teens who want to help. Somehow, I was appointed leader. We've been attacking the Fire Nation soldiers and raiding their camps pretty much every day.

Today was no different. We hovered around the edges of the camp, high enough so the soldiers wouldn't see us, but low enough to watch carefully, and wait for an opening to attack.

We didn't have to wait long. Suddenly, I heard a crashing in the bushes, and saw the same three kids I had saved so long ago on that fateful day. Right beneath my hiding place. Everyone looked at me for what to do as the soldiers began to attack them. I sighed; it looked like we would have to save them. I dropped from the tree and landed next to them.

"Nice to see you all again," I said, then shot a fire ball at the nearest guard. "Longshot, now!" I exclaimed. A volley of arrows fell, hitting half of the soldiers. I gave the signal, a high, piercing whistle, and we took the rest of them down.

After the battle, I was going through the supplies when a shadow fell over me. I looked up.

"Oh, hey Sokka!"

"How did you do that?"  
"Do what?"

"You guys took down a whole camp singlehandedly!"

"Oh, that. The three P's: Practice, Precision, and Planning. Besides, we didn't do it all by ourselves! You guys helped. I saw each of you probably take down four or five of them. Put that together, and you guys took down a third of the camp. Besides, we'd been staking out there all day. We just needed an opening, and you guys provided it." He smiled.

"We were following instinct."

"Hey, sometimes that's a good thing to do. Sometimes its not." I replied, securing some stuff onto a cart. "I suppose, you guys will need a place to camp?"

"Uh…yeah…would you mind to much if we.."

"No problem. I would love to have you guys stay with us! It would be an honor."

_**(Yada yada yada, they get to the tree fort thing)**_

"Wow…this place is AMAZING!" Sokka exclaimed. I smiled

"Welcome to Fort Agni. Population: 206." _**(Like what I did with the name? eh? Eh? Okay I get it. I'm not funny…) **_The Duke ran up to me.

"Mara! We don't have enough huts to accommodate the newcomers!"

"What do you mean?"

"One of them won't have a place to sleep!" Sokka immediately replied,

"Me. Let everyone else have a bed." I glanced at him.

"He can have my room. I'll sleep under the stars."

"Absolutely not! I refuse to make our leader not have a place to sleep because of some newcomers! Its not proper!" Jett said, appearing out of nowhere.

"But-"

"No!"

"Jett, I-"

"NO!"

"FINE THEN WE'LL SHARE A ROOM!" I yelled, sparks shooting from my fists. They nodded and back away skittishly. I sighed, the anger gone. Sometimes, being a fire bender sucked. "THIS is why I shouldn't be leader," I mumbled.

"So, this is where you've been living? Since you…well…." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Yep. It's crazy. I never would have thought I would be here, doing something this important. Its-"

"Crazy?" Sokka asked with a smirk. I smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah…" He threw his stuff on my- well, for now, HIS- bed and cringed as his stomach grumbled.

"So when's dinner?"

Later on that night, after making sure Sokka was asleep, I climbed onto the roof of my little hut. I always came here every night to think over stuff that had happened, both that day and before. It usually always came back to the same subject though: my inability to be a leader. I began to talk. I wasn't sure if it was to myself, Agni, the moon, whatever. I just…talked.

"I know it might look like I'm so sure about everything, but the truth is, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm not a born leader like Zuko, or poised and graceful like Azula. I'm just…me. Weak, ugly, boring, bitter Mara. Heck, even my NAME means bitter. I don't even know why they chose ME to be their leader. I can't ever seem to get anything right. The raid today almost failed if it wasn't for Sokka and his friends! I'm scared to death one day I'm gonna slip up big time, and someone will get hurt. Or worse, killed." I heard a voice behind me say,

"You sound like Aang." I jumped up and whirled around.

"Sokka! What're you doing up here?"

"I heard you come up. I'm a light sleeper."

"Oh…" I said, looking down at my feet.

"You know, in my opinion, I think you're a great leader, even if you're a girl. The way you commanded your forces today, it looked like you weren't even trying!"

"But, I-" he held up a finger.

"Let me finish. I can tell they look up to you and respect you. And I just want to let you know, my offer from the day you saved our lives still stands." And with that, he climbed back inside, leaving me to think about what he had just said.

_**Oooh! An offer to join the Gaang! Will Mara accept? How will everyone else react if she does? Why am I asking you these questions? Find out the answers to these questions and more in chapter three of Opposites Attract!**_

_**See you next time!**_

_**:+: Brianna :+:**_

_**P.S. I know that was super cheesy, but I've always wanted to do that ;P**_


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